title: Brush cells in the human fetal trachea.
abstract: We performed a morphologic examination of human fetal lung tissue, using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, in order to establish the presence of brush cells in extrapulmonary and intrapulmonary airways, and developing acinar epithelium. Brush cells, characterized by a border of regular straight microvilli containing a filamentous core, were observed within the tracheal epithelium of a 19-20 week gestational age fetus. These cells constituted 0.5% of the total epithelial cell population. Brush cells were not seen within the bronchial, bronchiolar or developing acinar epithelium. Our study shows that brush cells occur infrequently but normally in the developing tracheal epithelium of the second trimester fetus.
authors.affiliation: Jack and Lucy Clark Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: DiMaio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kattan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ciurea
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dische
mesh_terms: D005333:Fetus / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008871:Microvilli / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014132:Trachea / Q000196:embryology / Q000648:ultrastructure*